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SMELTING FURNACE. No. 000,020. Patented Mar. 15,1898.

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WILLIAM S. REESE, OF NATRONA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE PENNSYLVANIA SALT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PHILADEL- PHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SMELTlNG-FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,620, dated March 15, 1898. Application filed October 21, 1896. Serial No. 609,512. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. REESE, of Natrona, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in smelting-Furnaces, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is afront elevation of my improved smelting-furnace, showing the granulating device in section. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the lower portion of the furnace on a larger scale; and Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a f urnace, showing the double bottom.

.My invention relates to the smelting-furnaces employed for refining and smelting different materials, especially those containing lead and copper; and its object is to prevent the use of such a large amount of metal as has heretofore been necessary in this class of furnaces and to cheapen and facilitate the operations.

To that end it consists in a smelting-furnace which is provided with a double bottom, the melted lead passing down through the first or false bottom onto the second bottom and then flowing out into a receptacle therefor.

It also consists in the construction and arragement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully described, and set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, 2 represents a smeltingfurnace, which may be of the usual form employed for smelting ores and matte, but which is provided, as shown in Fig. 3, with a double bottom, a large cavity 3 being formed below the bottom proper, 4, the bottom 5 of this cavity being inclined, so that the metal will flow out into a suitable receptacle 6.

The bottom of the furnace is composed of porous bricks, preferably the ordinary silica fire-brick, laid on edge.

I have found by'actual test that when leady materials are smelted the lead will seep down through the bottom 4 and collect in the cavity below in a practically pure form, thus saving the large amount of metal which is ordinarily neoessaryin the furnace.

In operating this furnace I preferably employ a forehearth 7, which is carried on wheels 8 and rests below the spout 9 of the furnace. This forehearth is provided with two communicating chambers 10 and 11, the matte flowing into the cavity 10 and thence over an inner dividing-wall into the deeper cavity 11, from the bottom of which the matte is tapped off through a spout 12 into a water-reservoir 13, the matte being granulated by dropping into water and being received in a cage 14-, suspended in the receptacle. The slag flows out of the cavity 11 through the spout 20. The cage 14 is suspended from a trolley 15 of a crane, from which the granulated matte may be lifted and carried to the "desired point.

The water in the receptacle is kept at the desired level by the inlet and outlet pipes 16 and 17, which are provided with suitable handoperated valves, as shown. The cavity 10 of the forehearth is provided with a suitable spout 18, as shown, from which the metal is tapped into a wheeled pot 19.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, since the necessity of keeping a large amount of metal locked up in the smelting-furnace is avoided by reason of the double bottom, and the whole operation is easily and cheaply carried out.

Many changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the parts by the skilled mechanic without departure from my invention, since I claim- 1. A stack smelting-furnace for leady ma-. terials having a closed porous bottom, an outlet for the smelted material above the bottom, and .a receptacle beneath said bottom into which the lead seeps therethrough.

2. The combination with a smelting-furnace having a forehearth or settler, of a waterreservoir, and a spout arranged to lead the matte from the forehearth into said reservoir.

3. The combination with a water-reservoir having a cage or receptacle suspended therein, and a receptacle below the bottom into which of a smelting-furnace havingaforehearth arthe lead seeps therethrough. 1o ranged to discharge its contents into the cage In testimony whereof I have hereunto set through the Water in the reservoir. my hand.

5 4.. A smelting-furnace for leady materials WILLIAM S. REESE.

having a closed porous bottom, an outlet for Witnesses: the smelted materials at substantially the G. I. HOLDSHIP, same level as the upper surface of the bottom, H. M. CORWIN. 

